13 Things You’ll Regret Not Having When SHTF
May 1, 2021 by Linda Loosli 31  Comments , , ,

13 Things You’ll Regret Not Having When SHTF

  81  
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Even if you’re well on your way to establishing a stockpile of supplies to hold you over during a major emergency, there may be one or two things that you could be forgetting. While you probably have most of the biggies covered, you’d be sorry if you forgot to have some of the ones that didn’t seem as important at the time. Sometimes you have to go back and consider what your most basic needs are to be sure that you have all your bases covered. Which in fact is what most of these items are. These are 13 things you’ll regret not having when SHTF.

13 Things You’ll Regret Not Having When SHTF

13 Things You’ll Regret Not Having When SHTF

1. Soap

Proper sanitation is one of the first things that goes following a major disaster. Without having soap to keep not only all of you clean, but particularly your hands clean, it will only be a matter of time before you could get terribly sick. And if you don’t have the right medicine or even the convenience of being able to head to your doctor so they can fill out a prescription for you, your situation could wind up deadly. Make sure that when you plan on stocking up on soap, try to purchase a supply that is antibacterial. 

2. Hand Sanitizer 

No matter how much soap you have set aside, eventually, your stockpile will draw to an end.  You will want to have an abundance of hand sanitizer as one of your emergency items so that your soap supply won’t diminish too quickly. We quickly realize that this is one of those things you’ll regret not having when SHTF.

3. Bleach 

Bleach is probably the cheapest and one of the most effective ways of disinfecting contaminated water, along with keeping your surroundings sanitary. Be sure to stock up on this one as much as you can. Remember to store the variety without any scent or it will carry over to the flavor of the water, and it may not be as tolerable to your body either. Please only store what you can use within six months. A reader, Chuck, told me about this product, this was a cartwheel moment for me, 6 x Steramine Quaternary Sanitizing Tablets (they last for ten years)

In case you missed this post, Bleach: Everything You Need to Know

Read More of My Articles  Why You Should Wash Your Hands Often

4. Toilet Paper/Kleenex Tissues 

If it came down to it, your family could definitely survive in a world without toilet paper, but would you really want to? This is why it only makes sense for you to create a huge stockpile of toilet paper that you don’t touch until an emergency.  And don’t forget Kleenex, I have so many allergies, I have to stock these all the time.

5. Feminine Products/Handkerchiefs/Bandanas 

For those of you who have a family with several females living in your home, you’ll be under a lot more pressure to make sure they stay fresh and clean with a stockpile of tampons or sanitary pads. They never go bad and don’t take up that much space when being stored. Don’t be afraid to make homemade ones, you may need them. In case you missed this post, How To Make Reusable Menstrual Pads  

In case you missed this post, 25 Reasons To Store Bandanas For Survival

Bandanas

6. Painkillers 

Suffering through a headache without any form of pain relief is painful, but it is doable. Yet what about if you are suffering from a toothache or some type of serious injury? Not so easy to do. Be sure to get a number of different kinds of pain relievers because they each have their special uses. 

You also don’t have to get caught up in worrying about the expiration date on the bottles once they’re past the date. They never really go bad, but just lessen in strength over time. While you’re at it, go ahead and stock up on other medical supplies and OTC medicines that would be useful.     

7. Can Openers 

A majority of the food that you’ve stockpiled for emergencies probably comes in a can. It would be a lot harder to get the contents out of them without a manual can opener. Just to be safe, keep more than one of them around in your home. Again, please stock more than one can opener, you never know when that favorite one will break. Can Openers

8. Tools 

Having basic tools along with screws, nails, and adhesives will be crucial if you’re forced out of your home and you need to build a shelter for your family. Following a post-collapse, it’s going to take a ton of hardware materials to rebuild again, and it will also give you something that you can barter with too.  

9. Matches and Lighters 

Unless you’re skilled with making fires by using another method, you will regret not having plenty of matches and lighters set aside for a SHTF scenario. Starting a fire can be difficult as it is, especially if your knowledge is limited in that department. You will need to be able to make a fire for your cooking and lighting purposes. It doesn’t hurt to have the matches in waterproof containers in case the emergency takes place during a storm. That’s also why flashlights and a large stash of batteries would also be a must-have.  

Read More of My Articles  Tips for Surviving the National Parks (If Lost)

10. Ammo 

Without ammo, it’s going to be pretty difficult for you to hunt, and your hunting rifles will be completely useless. One thing to keep in mind is that you can never have too much ammo, especially following a major disaster. If you’re in a situation that you don’t want to give away your location, stocking up on bowstrings and arrows may also be something that you should consider.    

11. Alcohol 

Even if you have never touched a lick of booze in your life, it would be smart for you to have it on you if ever SHTF. Some people use it to calm their nerves in order to help them relax, but alcohol can be used to help disinfect wounds. It also holds value and would give you another bargaining item that you could use to trade with people for almost anything. This is another item you’ll regret not having in SHTF.

12. Entertainment 

When you’re left with a useless mobile device in your pocket following an SHTF scenario, you will have wished you had another form of entertainment to help you pass the time. For some people, it will take only be a short time before they experience withdrawals and a case of the jitters if they aren’t able to check their email or their social media.

Make sure that you have plenty of books, board games, playing cards, pencils, and pads of paper to keep you busy. While you may not need to be entertained, these are things you’ll regret not having when SHTF.

13. Valuable Skills 

You could have every survival item that should be included in your stockpile, but if you don’t have the skills that go along with them, your family probably isn’t going to make it. Hunting, fishing, gardening, foraging, husbandry, welding, carpentry, are just some of the useful skills that you could find very helpful to have. Your skills could be yet another bargaining chip that you could barter with. Survival skills are another area that you may need to brush up on and practice. This is one of my top posts, 30 Pioneer Skills We Cannot Lose  

13 Things You’ll Regret Not Having When SHTF

Final Word

Hopefully, you and I will never have to experience an SHTF situation in our lifetime, but there’s always that slim possibility. These are several items that you will regret not having if that day were to one day show up. Of course, having sufficient food and water are critical and that should go without saying if you are at all prepared. A camp stove, plenty of fuel, and enough warm clothing are also some that you shouldn’t forget. What are some things you’ll regret not having when SHTF? May God Bless this world, Linda.

Similar Posts

31 Comments

  2. Ammo is and always will be an investment. Regardless of wether or not SHTF. It’s at peak now of course. That was inevitable.

    IF and that is an IF it comes down and becomes available again and at decent prices BUY IT CHEAP STACK IT DEEP.
    I’ve still got 06 from WW2 that I shoot. It ain’t going bad. Store it in ammo cans. Protect that investment. Next time you buy something and it’s got a moisture absorber in it throw that in the ammo can. Again protect your investment.

    Ammo is not covered by any kind of insurance available. Right now it far outvalues the gun itself. Put it in the safe or cabinet.

    Ammo amounts are understated much like water and food. Yes you need let’s say 1K rounds for your rifle according to gurus to survive the great upcoming whatever apocalypse. Ok great number but more likely is what we are going through now with unrest and politics so you need to train and practice for a year or more and possibly train others like children so you can triple that number. Administrations can last up to 8 years so how much more you need now?

    Like Linda said you either got it or ya don’t and that’s an expensive club.

    Reply

  3. The difficult thing about storing bleach is the expiration date is only 6 months for full strength. Just got this off google: “Bleach can expire. After a shelf life of six months, bleach starts to degrade. Even in its original bottle, bleach becomes 20 percent less effective as each year goes by.”

    I used to store at least 6 bottles but now store just a few plus disinfectant and the chlorine powder calcium hypochlorite you get at pool supply stores to treat water. You have to know how to use it (not hard) so google it’s use to purify water. The good news is it’s cheap and a tiny bit goes a long way – about $15-$20 for a container that will purify a lot of water. Linda it would be a great article on how to use it.

    Reply

    1. Hi Kay, I just added that to the post. I’m aware of the six-month shelf-life of bleach, but many people are not. Thanks for the reminder. I love it! Linda

      Reply

  4. We could all learn to make lye soap. I’m lucky that I do know how. And have the ingredients to make it. You can even make lye from hardwood ash. It’s all on the internet. I do want to buy a couple of more pounds of lye for if and when.

    I’m thinking of making some family cloths for if and when the toilet tissue runs out. I have a lot of odds and ends of fabric, and a lot of old towels. I have made reusable menstrual pads. I don’t need them, but they’d be a good bargaining item. I will be adding several other items mentioned. Alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide.

    Now would be a good time to restock on beans and rice and such. They are back on the shelf. They were out for so long that we ran out. I just bought 8 pounds, but will be buying more. I was pretty shocked that we ran out. I thought we had more than we did. But it was t near enough. OK we had enough to last until they got more on the shelves. Over a years worth.

    Please everyone, check your food stock.

    Reply

    1. Hi Deborah, I totally agree with you. Please check your stock, and re-stock where needed. We need reminders to keep us on track sometimes. I have a lot of family cloth, we may need them. Hopefully not, but hey, we will have them if we need them. I love our group because we can say, hey check your beans and rice, they are back on the shelves! Life is good! Linda

      Reply

      1. Handkerchiefs are handy items; not only for blowing your nose, but for use as bandages, feminine pads, cloth strainers, dust cloths, bandannas, and for personal hygiene,, to name a few.
        Recommend having a stack of them.

        Reply

        1. Hi Nancy, thank you for the reminder for having a stack of handkerchiefs! There really are so many ways to use them. I’m adding this to the list, thank you!!! Linda

          Reply

  5. https://www.unitypoint.org/blankchildrens/article.aspx?id=68ac1797-834f-409c-947b-4df322b04380

    Is it really necessary to have different types of soap? It is definitely more convenient to have hand sanitizers, when away from water.
    Something else I find interesting in these types of articles, that are full of great information:
    Where to store all of these products?
    Bugging in, provides some extra space, compared to loosing home and starting over somewhere else does. Somewhere else won’t have enough space to keep all the tools and bolts and such. Better to have that second location already built.

    “Store only what you eat”
    I understand why experts say this.
    But I also understand it is cheaper and takes up less space, and easier to store: rice and beans! If a true disaster occurs, people will eat anything! Just don’t forget to stock water (cheaper) or other fluids to cook each in. And you can barter with rice and beans too.
    Thanks for the reminders, and time put into these articles!

    Reply

    1. Hi Midge, I love to stock Dr. Bronner’s soap because it’s a concentrate, I think it’s critical we stock different things so we have whatever we need to use or barter with. Great comment! Linda

      Reply

  6. Linda, I’m not sure if you wrote this or I read it somewhere else, but I thought it is worth considering. Feminine products like tampons /Tampax are good for nosebleeds and pads are sterile, so they would be good for bandages…different size pads for different size wounds. Just need to have good tape to go with it.

    Reply

    2. Hi Beth, I did not write that but I love hearing it. It makes sense. I have talked about using menstrual pads for bandages with tape, but let’s stock whatever we can afford and have for different uses. Linda

      Reply

  7. Linda,

    Regarding bleach, never use scented or colored bleach to disinfect water you plan to drink or cook with. Those additives can be toxic.

    About feminine hygiene, there are also moon cups/diva cups and homemade sanitary napkins.

    Get a bidet and you can forget about worrying about lack of TP. There are kits to convert standard toilets into bidets. Then all you have to worry about is running out of water.

    Reply

  8. Thsse are all good ones and these a couple we need to double down on. One other thing I’ve been stocking up on is coffee. Its such a comfort item and it would be a good bargaining item.

    Reply

  9. In a severe SHTF, skills are perhaps the most vital–and often neglected–prep. Especially in reference to a group. Medical for instance, with no doctor coming, and when first aid won’t suffice. Can one perform a needed appendectomy? It’s learnable and doable. Breech birth? (Women will get pregnant, of course) Does one understand abdominal manipulation, or can perform a Cesarean delivery? (Also doable, if prepared) Can one deal with fractures, beyond simple splints? (Setting bones, tractions, fixations–casts) Not to mention veterinary issues, i.e. blocked croop, rectal impactions, suturing wounds. Or how about making activated charcoal for water filtration. Or making biofuel for that old diesel tractor you found? Sorry, the list is virtually endless, but in SHTF, the more we’ve absorbed the better. SHTF isn’t just about Bushcraft and gardening, so we need to never stop learning. Thank you for your articles, and your skills suggestion was great.

    Reply

    1. Hi Leam, oh, how I LOVE LOVE LOVE your comment! You are so right the list is endless for skills. It’s interesting you mentioned so many because they are all things that WILL happen, not all at once, but we could all be put in a position to deal with any one of those situations. We never stop learning! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this wonderful comment. Linda

      Reply

  10. One of the best “skills” I have learned is how to reload (AKA handload) ammunition. I got into it in the early 90’s. It’s a big investment but once you have the tools to do it ammunition can be much cheaper. The problem right now is that components (primers, powder) are next to impossible to get. Another good skill (I would call myself a beginner) is casting your own bullets. So my advice here is do some research and see if it is something you might enjoy. Also save your brass casings (except .22 long rifle brass – it cannot be reloaded) and save your scrap lead. It may be valuable in a SHTF.

    Reply

    1. Hi Tom, oh I love hearing this! I used to have a neighbor across the street that reload ammo. He showed me how he did, but he had all the equipment. He’s moved to a care center, I learned so much from him. Great comment, Linda

      Reply

  12. I don’t think that we are anywhere near the end of the Covid Pandemic. My wife and I are in the over 65 age group with most of the pre-existing health problems. For us sanitizing and disinfecting is very important.

    I would like to recommend a product known as Steramine. It is a tablet that is mixed with water to produce a broad spectrum bactericidal and sporidical bleach alternative.
    Unlike bleach Steramine is non-toxic,non-corrosive and does not irritate the skin.

    Steramine quaternary tablets are used in many industries to sanitize and disinfect
    non-porous surfaces such as glassware,utinsiles,counter tops,tables,food dispensing
    equipment and toys.

    The good news is that Steramine has a 10 year shelf and is inexpensive when compared
    to the cost of restocking you bleach supply ever year-6 months.There is one down side
    and that is that Steramine can not be used to purify drinking water.

    Your ideas and recommendations are always so complete and accurate.I’m reluctant to
    add anything.Thank you for your good work.

    Reply

    1. Hi Chuck, oh I LOVE LOVE LOVE your comment. I do a lot of research but you may read about something I haven’t heard about. I’m all over this product, this is what I need to stock up on, thank you so much!!!!!! This would open up the shelf-life we all really need for a bleach alternative. I Love it! Linda

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *